Ultimatum
by Bellamoine
Summary: When Jacob starts avoiding her, Bella decides to take matters in to her own hands and do something about it. Jacob Black had better watch out.


So, the point of this story was that it is based off a ridiculous haiku. Say so in your review if you'd be interested in more such vignettes.

Bella Swan was ticked off, and that was putting it lightly. Jacob had been flat out ignoring her for two weeks now. The first time Billy had told her Jacob didn't want to talk, she'd thanked him for the message while choking down tears. She'd spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in her room, curled up in her chair, staring at nothing as she tried to keep the despair from overwhelming her.

As she sat there with the ever-present rain dripping down outside her window, she stared at the wall, trying to think of what she could have done wrong. She had been depressed, yes, but it had seemed like Jake understood that. He knew how she felt about Ed- him. He'd always accepted it in the past, realizing that if she ever was going to come around, it would take a long time. He'd embraced the challenge, grabbing her hand when they walked together, and laughing when she uncomfortably tugged away, pulling her in to bear hugs when the pain crept in to her eyes and saying nothing when she gave him questioning looks.

She wasn't leading him on. She knew it, and he knew it. She hadn't noticed anything changing between them recently, just the stress he'd been mentioning about Sam Uley's gang on the reservation. After a few hours in her chair, Bella stood up abruptly, a glare cinching her eyebrows together and turning down the corners of her mouth. She was angry, and it felt good. She'd gone for so long feeling few emotions but pain and sorrow, and now, she was pleased to realize, she was truly angry. She hadn't done anything, and Jacob had abandoned her, just like _he_ had.

Bella grabbed a hoodie off a hanger in her closet, pulling the warm grey garment over her head. Tugging the ever-necessary rain boots on to her feet, she stomped down the stairs, earning a surprised glance from Charlie, who was, as usual, sunk in to the couch in front of the TV after work.

"Bells, what's wrong?" Her father asked her in surprise. He was even more shocked when his usually recalcitrant daughter blew past him, informing him over his shoulder that the services of a police officer might be required later on over at the reservation. Then, she grabbed her windbreaker from the hook by the front door and blew out the door.

Charlie, left sitting on the couch, found himself grinning at the referee who was currently calling a holding foul on the Florida gators. Any sign of life from Bella was encouraging to him, a sign that she might be finally getting over that Cullen boy. He didn't worry that she'd actually do anything to hurt Jacob, whatever he'd done wrong. She hadn't been up to see the boy recently, and it had worried Charlie. The fact that Bella was now raging towards the Quileute boy didn't worry Charlie- she cared enough about Jacob that she was willing to lift herself out of her depression to get mad at the boy, he was sure they'd be able to make up. Remembering the angry look on his daughter's face, he settled further back in to the couch, chuckling softly to himself and feeling more hopeful than he had in a long time.

Rain spattered on Bella's windshield as she drove down the gray highway towards the rez. Trees flashed by at a much faster pace than usual, and Bella looked down at her speedometer, surprised to find herself at least 20 mph above the speed limit. A smirk twitched one corner of her mouth. Whatever. After a few minutes, Bella screeched to a stop in front of Billy's house. Hopping out of the truck and directly in to a puddle, Bella scowled at the splash of muddy water that made it all the way up to her face. Stomping towards the house, she knocked loudly and began to tap her foot as she waited for the door to open.

After a few moments, the door opened and behind the screen stood a surprised and shirtless Jacob Black. Bella flung open the screen door and stated, low and angry, "Get your butt outside, Jacob. We're going to talk." The boy's mouth fell open at her irate order. "And shut your mouth," Bella continued, glaring. "You look like a trout."

Mutely, the boy followed her out into the drizzle. Silently, Bella led the way to the La Push beach. Jacob walked a few feet away from her, the rain slowly soaking his denim shorts and newly-cropped dark hair. The beach was deserted, the only sounds the crashing of the white-capped grey waves washing up to the pebbled beach.

Pulling her windbreaker down so it would cover her butt, Bella sat down on the beach. Jacob copied her motions and opened his mouth to start talking. Whirling her head around to face the boy, she silenced him by starting to speak herself.

"Jacob, I don't know what you think gives you the right to just start ignoring me. I know I'm not the funnest person to be around right now, and I know I can't give you what you want, but if that wasn't alright with you, you should have TOLD ME. You should NOT have let me think that we could just be friends when you were clearly LYING. " At this accusation, the Jacob started and opened his mouth again, starting to object, "Bells, I never…"

Bella cut him off again, "Yeah, Jacob, you know what? Save it. I'm really not in the mood to listen to why it hurts too much and you can't stand the pain anymore and you're tired of waiting, and…" Bella could feel the tears coming – this was hitting far too close to home for her, but she pushed on relentlessly. "So, Jacob, either you tell me right now what your problem is or I'm going to be the one who starts ignoring YOU."

Finishing her spiel, she stared out over the angry water, swiping a hand under her eye to wipe away the one tear that had escaped. Jacob caught the hand as she moved it from her face, and she jerked it away angrily. Raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, the boy let go. His face displayed several emotions – irritation, shock, and pain were all prominent.

"Bella, I'm sorry! I didn't want to ignore you these last few weeks. I care about you, you know I do, it's just that Sam – "and here he abruptly broke off, looking angry at himself. Bella turned quickly at this statement and looked him in the eye for the first time since they arrived at the beach.

"Oh, and we mustn't displease _Sam_ now, mustn't we," she commented, voice heavy with sarcasm. At the hurt look on his face, her tone softened. Look, Jake, I want to be friends with you. You're a really good guy, and I can't tell you how much you've helped me these last few months. You've been one of the only things holding me together, and that means a lot to me. I know what's happening to you right now, and it's wrong. It's not going to help anything. Jacob, I recognize the symptoms. You're avoiding your friend, you're growing way too fast, you're obsessed with your body suddenly – I mean, for Pete's sake, Jake, don't you _own _a shirt? You're on steroids, and it's not going to help anything. "

At this pronunciation, Jacob let out a choking noise and covered his mouth with his hand, shoulders starting to shake. After a moment, he couldn't hold it in, and the young man burst out laughing. "Bella, really? Steroids? Please. I don't think you could be any more wrong if you tried."

When Jacob started laughing, Bella's face lost the softness it had held earlier, and became furious at his mocking of her. After he finished talking, he looked at her and opened his mouth again to resume talking. However, he never got to, because at that point, Bella's fist connected solidly with his eye, and she yelled, "Jacob Black, you have exactly one week to come up with a satisfactory explanation for your behavior and a VERY good apology. Or else."

Jumping up, Bella stalked away from the stunned boy who sat on the beach, blood dripping from a cut below his eye where her ring had scraped away the skin. Feeling perverse pleasure as she shook out her sore fingers, Bella looked back over her shoulder to yell, "And put on a shirt, moron!" Smiling wryly at his shocked face, Bella got in her car and drove back to Charlie's. Ultimatum delivered. Something told Bella that she'd know what was going on with the boy within 7 days. And if she didn't, well, he had another eye.

The Haiku for this chapter was:

Are you on steroids?

Avoid me and you're ripped now.

Please put on a shirt.

Please R and R.


End file.
